Bonners Ferry work goes on amid volatile forecasts
Bonners Ferry flood forecasts continued to wax and wane as meteorologists watched the clouds. Yesterday’s warning that water would rise 2 feet above the flood mark was amended Tuesday afternoon to just slightly above flood stage.
In Bonners Ferry, crews continued to strengthen banks with rock piles, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working closely with city and county workers to assess damage along the river.
Monday reports that 46 miles of dikes had been damaged were revised upward Tuesday morning to about 54 miles of dikes in need of repair at $1 million per mile, said Charlie Comer of the corps. That number could increase when water subsides, he said.
Bonners Ferry and Boundary County officials met with leaders from the Idaho Department of Homeland Security, Corps of Engineers and Idaho National Guard at a closed-session workshop to discuss the situation.
John Livingston, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Spokane office, said the government’s river forecast center in Portland was monitoring the volatile nature of the storms that have been affecting Idaho, Washington and Montana. “Stay tuned,” he said, “the forecast is going to change again.”
– Sam Taylor
Kootenai County
House-cleaner charged
A 39-year-old housekeeper is in the Kootenai County Jail on charges that she really cleaned house.
Tammy Jean Young-Johnson allegedly stole jewelry and a handgun from a home she had been hired to clean. After she was fired, the Rathdrum resident allegedly returned to the home and committed the crimes, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department.
Young-Johnson was arrested last week and is being held on $300,000 bail on charges of burglary, grand theft, possession of stolen property and drug charges.
Authorities are asking anyone who may have hired Young-Johnson and had something stolen to contact Detective Steve Stewart at (208) 446-1300.
– Taryn Brodwater
Post Falls
Police investigate theft
Post Falls police are looking for a man who burglarized a laundromat and carwash early Tuesday.
The suspect, photographed by video surveillance, is described as white, with shoulder-length blond hair, wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, white tennis shoes and black gloves.
He allegedly used a chunk of concrete to break the glass door of the business about 3:30 a.m., according to a press release. The owner told police that chips, cookies, candy and beef jerky were missing from the business.
Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call Detective Pat Kenner at (208) 773-3517 or submit a tip at the Post Falls police Web site, www.postfallspolice.com/Tip.htm.
– Taryn Brodwater